From lowering temperatures to providing renewable materials, livelihoods and employment, the world’s forests play a larger role than just cutting carbon emissions to combat climate change. Despite enormous untapped potential that all types of forests hold, much of attention in climate policy, including climate finance, has to date focused on potential of forests in carbon storage and removal, particularly in the tropics.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), comprising 16 international organizations, recently unveiled its Joint Call to Action for Forests towards 2030 at the 2023 SDG Summit and Climate Action Week in New York. This event "Forests for our Future" showcased the indispensable role forests play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the urgent need to unlock the full potential of forests and expedite progress toward global targets, especially the crucial Global Forest Goals (GFGs). The Joint Call to Action serves as a clarion call for heightened commitment, political will, and concerted efforts to fortify forest-based solutions to untap the potential of forests.

Building upon the momentum of this launch, the CPF will hold two events on the occasion of the Nature, Land Use and Oceans Day of UNFCCC COP28 on 9 December 2023. The first event “Climate Action Showcase: Beyond Carbon- Realizing Untapped Potential of Forests to Combat Climate Change” (3:15- 4:00pm, 9 December, UNEP Pavilion) will focus on best practices and case studies on capturing full values of forests, productive functions of forests and potential of renewable materials and green jobs. The speakers will also share their perspective about future implementation of the Joint Call to Action. The second event “CPF High-level Dialogue- Forests for Our Common Future: Halting and Reversing Deforestation by 2030” (10 December, 2:00-3:30pm, COP28 Action Arena 1 (Al Hur)) that will feature CPF’s actions to accelerate efforts in halting and reversing deforestation by 2030.

Agenda

Opening remarks

Speaker

Maria Helena Semedo

Deputy Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations / Chair Collaborative Partnership on Forests

Keynote speech

Speaker

Ana Euler

Executive Director, Embrapa

Panelists

Sheam Satkuru

Executive Director, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)

Pascal Martinez

Senior Climate Change Specialist, Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Susan Gardner

Director, Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

Closing remarks

Speaker

Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo

Director, UN Forum on Forests Secretariat

Moderator

Mirey Atallah

Head of Nature for Climate Branch, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)